trailblazing women
yesterday, i spoke to career women. i want to continue in that trend and talk today about modern women influencers—women trailblazers. we’re all familiar with historically great women like Marie Curie and Susan B. Anthony their contributions to the modern science & medicine and women’s suffrage are profound. but what about (potentially) less-known women like Grace Hopper, who profoundly changed computer programming and STEM more generally. women have and continue to shape the world each and every day in all domains and industries. and with each and every day, their stories are coming to the forefront more and more.
i take it we all have women in our lives—some we know and some we don’t—who have influenced us. i take it that we all have women in our lives who set an example and showed us that, although scary, we too can venture down less trodden paths. who are those women for you? your mother? sister? Grace Hopper? someone else entirely?
modern women influencers
those of us interested in fashion—and i take it all my readers are—are no doubt familiar with the modern female titans of industry: Vera Wang, Donna Karan, and the like. women like these not only shape the way we dress, but oftentimes, the direction of our society more generally as Miranda from The Devil Wears Prada reminds us.
blazer |sweater | boyfriend jeans | similar belt
denim is one of the most integral parts of our wardrobe. and it’s difficult to get right. this fall, i’ve broken out of comfort zones and (potentially) norms and sported everything from wide-legged jeans to skinny jeans. however, one of the most versatile pieces of denim to incorporate into your fashion repertoire is the boyfriend jean. you can wear them lounging at home. or you can roll them up, throw on a pair of pumps, and head out for cocktails.
fall blazers
fall is all about the layering. and one of the best ways to layer is with a blazer. you all know how integral blazers are to my wardrobe. they’ve been featured heavily on the blog over the years. (see older posts here, here, and here.) and they’ve also made several appearances on this month’s fashion flash over on YouTube. (also see the above video.)
i’m sporting a regent blazer from J.Crew. but i’ve also compiled a list of blazers i’m in love with from Ann Taylor and the like below.
which one is your favorite? tweed? plaid? a more neutral black?
blazer |sweater | boyfriend jeans | similar belt
versatility is one of the keys to any wardrobe with longevity. blazers are perfect because you can throw them over anything from a tee to a sweater like the one from Nordstrom i’m sporting today.
those shoes!
shoe 1 | shoe 2 | shoe 3 | similar handbag (similar, high-to-low)
i’m a big believer in neutrals—blacks, whites, grays, and beiges. but i’m also a big believer in color pop. oftentimes, as we get older, we stop wearing a lot of colors and err on the side of neutrals. but there’s a lot of ways to introduce color into your daily outfits. i’ve chosen to accentuate my black sweater and blazer with a pair of blue-stripped pumps. (similar shoes here, here, and here.
all right, gang! tell me about your influences: personal, professional, or fashion. who has been a trailblazer in your life? are you one? what ways do you like to leave the beaten path and try something new?
I love the trailblazers series you have been doing. It’s made me think. I am a trailblazer to part of my family because I was the first member of my Mother’s side of the family to graduate college and then go back for a Masters degree later in life (with a husband 2 kids and a full time job in health care). My mother was a trailblazer to me because she was always encouraging and told me that I could do anything I wanted if I was willing to work hard enough to achieve it. She was right!
The shoes are perfect with the blue accent at the collar in the jacket. Nice touch! Women role models are so important–so many it’s hard to choose just a few. My mom honestly was an amazing role model for me, (and actually also apparently for a number of other people who’ve told me so over the years.) Professionally, the Notorious RBG is up there. And fashion-wise, my mom pretty much shoots it out of the park there, too–but maybe also I’ll say the elegant Audrey Hepburn.
Here is an idea for your site. I would like you to choose a friend (or more) of yours that has a difficult to style body. An apple. A large chest. Or quite overweight. Use what they have in their closet and show us a few styles. It will help those of us who may not be slim or tall. So that we will see the potential in our figures and closets. Thanks!
You always look beautiful.
I just watched Hot & Flashy’s Target Haul.
Ugh! So thin. Size XS size 2 jeans. That’s ok but you’re a REAL woman. You look awesome in your clothes. No little bird legs sticking out of booties.
Your appeal is across the board. A gal we can all relate to. Thanks.
BTW…I didn’t intend this as critical of Angie. I love her makeup tips.
Love everything about your look. It would certainly meet my needs.
Cathy
Beth I have followed your blog for years. I discovered, several years ago, though, that many of your styles do not work for petite women such as myself. However, I do continue to subscribe and often I am drawn to the sweaters and shirts you promote. I also enjoy your recipe and health-related topics. Could you do an update on your hairstyle? I think it might work for me!
well good news! my daughter-in-law is a petitie size and she will be coming on the blog featuring outfits in the near future. thanks so much for continuing to follow along with me in spite of the size difference. i’ll try to get a hair tutorial up sooner rather than later. xo
Beth I love your blog and look forward to reading everyday! I always get a tip here and there. I am a lover of unique shoes, so I add a pop of color with shoes , bags and scarfs. I love neutrals. My Nana was always my inspiration, she was elegant, kind, intelligent, she was the entire ball of wax.
What a great question Beth! On reflection I see that I’ve been my own trailblazer. On starting my engineering career 40 years ago there were no known role models beyond Marie Curie…the others weren’t introduced. It has been wonderful to know so many younger women who have come along…what a change from my early days!
Don’t forget Eileen Fisher in your list of trailblazing fashion gals!
Love this outfit–I am a preppy gal too–but the shoes are fabulous! Early in my career, I got to meet Commodore Hopper (as she was then known) just before she retired from the Navy. She was a “salty old broad” in all of the very best ways possible. I was so inspired by the conversation that this English Lit loving bookworm chose a STEM career and never looked back. She was brilliant!